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Bangladesh, officially the
People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in
South Asia. It is surrounded by
India on all sides except for a small border with
Myanmar to the far southeast and the
Bay of Bengal to the south. Together with the Indian state of
West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of
Bengal. The name
Bangladesh means "Country of Bengal" and is written as
???????? and
pronounced ['ba?lad?e?] in the official
Bengali language.
The borders of Bangladesh were set by the
Partition of India in 1947, when it became the eastern wing of
Pakistan , separated from the western wing by 1,600 km . Despite their common religion of
Islam, the ethnic and linguistic gulf between the two wings, compounded by an apathetic government based in West Pakistan, resulted in the independence of Bangladesh under the leadership of
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971 after the bloody
Bangladesh Liberation War, in which it was supported by India. The years following independence have been marked by political turmoil, with thirteen different heads of government, and at least four military coups.
The population of Bangladesh ranks seventh in the world, but its area of approximately 144,000 km² is ranked ninety-fourth, making it one of the
most densely populated countries in the world. It is the third largest
Muslim-majority nation, but has a slightly smaller Muslim population than the Muslim minority in India. Geographically dominated by the fertile
Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, the country has annual
monsoon floods, and
cyclones are frequent. Bangladesh is one of the founding members of
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ,
BIMSTEC, and a member of the
OIC and the
D-8.
History
Remnants of
civilization in the greater
Bengal region date back 4,000 years
, when the region was settled by Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman, and
Austro-Asiatic peoples. The exact origin of the word
Bangla or Bengal is unknown, though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe
Bang that settled in the area around the year 1000 BCE.
After the arrival of
Indo-Aryans, the kingdom of
Gangaridai was formed from at least the 7th century BCE, which later united with
Bihar under the
Magadha Empire. Under the
Maurya dynasty founded by
Chandragupta Maurya, the Magadha Empire extended over nearly all of the
Indian subcontinent and parts of
Persia and
Afghanistan. Bengal was later part of the
Gupta Empire from the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE. After its collapse, a dynamic Bengali named Shashanka founded an impressive yet short-lived kingdom. After a period of anarchy, the
Buddhist Pala dynasty ruled the region for four hundred years, followed by a shorter reign of the
Hindu Sena dynasty.
Islam was introduced to Bengal in the twelfth century by
Sufi missionaries, and subsequent Muslim conquests helped spread Islam throughout the region.
Bakhtiar Khilji, a Turkish general, defeated Lakshman Sen of the Sena dynasty and conquered large parts of Bengal. The region was ruled by dynasties of
Sultans and feudal lords for the next few hundred years. By the sixteenth century, the
Mughal Empire controlled Bengal, and
Dhaka became an important provincial center of Mughal administration.
European traders arrived late in the 15th century, and their influence grew until the
British East India Company gained control of Bengal following the
Battle of Plassey in 1757. The bloody rebellion of 1857, known as the
Sepoy Mutiny, resulted in transfer of authority to the
crown, with a British
viceroy running the administration . During colonial rule, famine racked the Indian subcontinent many times, including the 1770 Bengal famine that claimed 3 million lives.
Between 1905 and 1911, an abortive attempt was made to divide the province of Bengal into two zones, with
Dhaka being the capital of the eastern zone.
When India was partitioned in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines, with the
western part going to India and the eastern part joining
Pakistan as a province called East Bengal , with its capital at
Dhaka.
In 1950, land reform was accomplished in East Bengal with the abolishment of the feudal zamindari system. However, despite the economic and demographic weight of the east, Pakistan's government and military were largely dominated by the upper classes from the west. The
Language Movement of 1952 was the first sign of friction between the two wings of Pakistan. Dissatisfaction with the central government over economic and cultural issues continued to rise through the next decade, during which the
Awami League emerged as the political voice of the Bengali-speaking population. It agitated for autonomy in the 1960s, and in 1966, its president
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was jailed; he was released in 1969 after an unprecedented popular uprising.
In 1970, a massive
cyclone devastated the coast of East Pakistan, and the central government responded poorly. The Bengali population's anger was compounded when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose
Awami League won a majority in Parliament in the 1970 elections, was blocked from taking office. After staging compromise talks with Mujib, President
Yahya Khan arrested him on the night of March 25, 1971, and launched Operation Searchlight,
a sustained military assault on East Pakistan. Yahya's methods were extremely bloody, and the violence of the war resulted in many civilian deaths.
Chief targets included intellectuals and Hindus, and about ten million
refugees fled to neighbouring India. Estimates of those massacred range from several hundred thousand to 3 million.
Most of the Awami League leaders fled and set up a government-in-exile in
Calcutta, India. The
Bangladesh Liberation War lasted for 9 months. The
guerrilla Mukti Bahini and Bengali regulars eventually received support from the
Indian Armed Forces in December 1971. Under the command of
Lt. General J.S. Arora, the
Indian Army achieved a decisive victory over Pakistan on 16 December,1971, taking over 90,000
prisoners of warin the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
After its independence, Bangladesh became a parliamentary democracy, with Mujib as the Prime Minister. In the 1973 parliamentary elections, the Awami League gained an absolute majority. A nationwide famine occurred during 1973 and 1974,name=mascarenhas>
A series of bloody coups and counter-coups in the following three months culminated in the ascent to power of General
Ziaur Rahman, who reinstated multi-party politics and founded the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party . Zia's rule ended when he was assassinated in 1981 by elements of the military. disorder and political violence.
Government and politics
Bangladesh is a
parliamentary democracy. The President is the
head of state, a largely ceremonial post. The real power is held by the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The president is elected by the legislature every five years and has normally limited powers that are substantially expanded during the tenure of a
caretaker government, mainly in controlling the transition to a new government. Bangladesh has instituted a unique system of transfer of power; at the end of the tenure of a government, power is handed over to members of a civil society for three months, who run the general elections and transfer the power to elected representatives. This system was first practiced in 1991 and institutionalized in 1996 as the 13th amendment to the constitution.
The prime minister is ceremonially appointed by the president and must be a member of parliament , commanding the confidence of the majority of the MPs. The cabinet is composed of ministers selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president. The
unicameral parliament is the 300-members House of the Nation or
Jatiyo Sangshad, elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies for five-year terms of office. There is universal suffrage for all citizens from the age of 18.
The Constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and has undergone thirteen amendments.
A major part of the coastline comprises a
marshy
jungle, the
Sundarbans, one of the largest
mangrove forests in the world and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the
Royal Bengal Tiger. In 1997, this region was declared endangered.
Straddling the
Tropic of Cancer, Bangladeshi climate is
tropical with a mild winter from October to March, a hot, humid summer from March to June. A warm and humid
monsoon season lasts from June to October and supplies most of the country's rainfall. Natural calamities, such as
floods,
tropical cyclones,
tornadoes, and
tidal bores occur almost every year, combined with the effects of
deforestation, soil degradation and
erosion.
Cox's Bazar, south of the city of
Chittagong, has a beach that stretches uninterrupted over 120 kilometres ; it is one of the longest unbroken natural sea beaches of the world.
Economy
Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains an underdeveloped and
overpopulated nation. The per capita income in 2004 was a low US$440, and many other economic indicators were less than impressive. Yet, as the
World Bank notes in its July 2005 Country Brief, the country has made impressive progress in human development by focusing on increasing
literacy, achieving gender parity in schooling, and reducing population growth.
Jute was once the economic engine of the country. Its share of the world export market peaked in the
Second World War and the late 1940s at 80%
and even in the early 1970s accounted for 70% of its export earnings. However,
polypropylene products began to substitute jute products worldwide and the jute industry started to slow down. Bangladesh grows significant quantities of rice, tea and
mustard. Although two-thirds of Bangladeshis are farmers, more than three quarters of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from the
garment industry,
which began attracting foreign investors in the 1980s due to cheap labour and low conversion cost. In 2002, the industry exported US$5 billion worth of products.
The industry now employs more than 3 million workers, 90% of whom are women.
A large part of foreign currency earnings also comes from the remittances sent by expatriates living in other countries.
Obstacles to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, mismanaged
port facilities, a growth in the labour force that has outpaced jobs, inefficient use of energy resources , insufficient power supplies, slow implementation of economic reforms, political infighting and
corruption. According to the World Bank's July 2005 Country Brief: "Among Bangladesh’s most significant obstacles to growth are poor governance and weak public institutions."
Since 1990, the country has achieved an average annual growth rate of 5% according to the World Bank, despite the hurdles. The
middle class and the consumer industry have seen some growth. In December 2005, four years after its report on the emerging "
BRIC" economies ,
Goldman Sachs named Bangladesh one of the "Next Eleven,"
along with
Egypt,
Indonesia and several other countries. Bangladesh has seen a sharp increase in foreign direct investment. A number of multinational corporations, including
Unocal Corporation and Tata, have made major investments, the
natural gas sector being a priority. In December 2005, the Central Bank of Bangladesh projected GDP growth around 6.5%.
One significant contributor to the development of the economy has been the widespread propagation of
microcredit by
Muhammad Yunus through the
Grameen Bank. By the late 1990s, Grameen Bank had 2.3 million members, along with 2.5 million members of other similar organizations.
In order to enhance economic growth the government set up several export processing zones to attract foreign investment. These are managed by the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority.
Demographics
Recent population estimates range from 142 to 147 million making Bangladesh one of the top ten most populous countries in the world. With a population similar to
Russia's confined to an area of 144,000 square kilometers, it is very densely populated. The population growth was extreme in the 1960s and 1970s when the count grew from 50 to 90 million. With the promotion of
birth control in the 1980s the growth rate slowed. The population is relatively young, with the 0–25 age group comprising 60%, while 3% are 65 or older. Life expectancy is 63 years for both males and females.
Bangladesh is ethnically homogeneous, with
Bengalis comprising 98% of the population. The remainder are mostly
Bihari migrants and indigenous tribal groups. There are 13 tribal groups located in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts, the most populous of the tribes are the Chakmas. The region has been a source for ethnic tension since the inception of Bangladesh.
The largest tribal groups outside the Hill Tracts are the Santhals and the
Garos .
Human trafficking has been a lingering problem in Bangladesh
and illegal immigration has remained a cause of friction with Myanmar
and India.
The main language, as in
West Bengal, is
Bangla , an Indo-Aryan language of
Sanskrit origin and has its own script. Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh.
English is used as second language among the middle and upper classes and in higher education. Since a President Order in 1987, Bangla is used for all official correspondence except foreign ones.
Two major religions practised in Bangladesh are
Islam and
Hinduism . Ethnic Biharis are predominantly
Shia Muslims. Other religious groups include
Buddhists,
Christians, and
Animists.
Health and education levels have recently improved as poverty levels have decreased. Nevertheless, Bangladesh remains among the poorest nations in the world. Most Bangladeshis are rural, living on subsistence farming. Nearly half of the population lives on less than 1 USD per day.
Health problems abound, ranging from surface water contamination, to
arsenic in the
groundwater,
and diseases including
malaria,
leptospirosis and
dengue. The literacy rate in Bangladesh is approximately 41%.
There is gender disparity, though, as literacy rates are 50% among men and 31% among women, according to a 2004
UNICEF estimate.
Literacy has gone up due to many programs introduced in the country. Among the most successful ones are the
Food for education program introduced in 1993,
and a stipend program for women at the primary and secondary levels.
Culture
A new state for an old nation, Bangladesh has a culture that encompasses elements both old and new. The
Bangla language boasts a rich literary heritage, which Bangladesh shares with the
Indian state of
West Bengal. The earliest literary text in Bangla is the eighth century
Charyapada. Bangla literature in the medieval age was often either religious , or adaptations from other languages . Bangla literature matured in the nineteenth century. Its greatest icons are the poets
Rabindranath Tagore and
Kazi Nazrul Islam. Bangladesh also has a long tradition in folk literature, evidenced by
Maimansingha Gitika,
Thakurmar Jhuli or stories related to
Gopal Bhar.
The musical tradition of Bangladesh is lyrics-based , with minimal instrumental accompaniment. The
Baul tradition is a unique heritage of Bangla folk music, and there are numerous other musical traditions in Bangladesh, which vary from one region to the other. Gombhira, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya are a few of the better-known musical forms. Folk music of Bengal is often accompanied by the
ektara, an instrument with only one string. Other instruments include the dotara,
dhol,
flute, and
tabla. Bangladesh also has an active heritage in North Indian classical music. Similarly, Bangladeshi dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups, as well as the broader Indian dance tradition. Bangladesh produces about 80 films a year. Mainstream
Hindi films are also quite popular, as are films from
Kolkata, which has its own thriving Bengali-language movie industry. Around 200 dailies are published in Bangladesh, along with more than 1800 periodicals. However, regular readership is low, nearly about 15% of the population. Bangladeshis listen to a variety of local and national radio programmes from
Bangladesh Betar, as well as Bangla services from the BBC and
Voice of America. There is a state-controlled
television channel, but in the last few years, privately owned channels have grown considerably.
The culinary tradition of Bangladesh has close relations to
Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine as well as having many unique traits. Rice and fish are traditional favourites; leading to a common saying that "fish and rice make a Bengali" . Meat Consumption has increased with higher production in recent years. Bangladeshis make distinctive sweetmeats from milk products; some common ones are
Rôshogolla,
Chômchôm and
Kalojam.
The
sari ' is by far the most widely worn dress by Bangladeshi women. However, the salwar kameez ' is also quite popular, and in urban areas some women wear Western attire. Among men, European dressing has greater acceptance. Men also use the
kurta-paejama combination, often on religious occasions. The
lungi, a kind of long skirt, is widely worn by Bangladesh men.
The two Eids, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are the largest festivals in the Islamic calendar. The day before Eid ul-Fitr is called
Chãd Rat , and is often marked by firecrackers. Other Muslim holidays are also observed. Major Hindu festivals are Durga
Puja and
Saraswati Puja.
Buddha Purnima, which marks the birth of
Gautama Buddha 
